SANTA CRUZ >> It’s the end of the ride for the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk’s Ferris wheel, which workers dismantled Monday after nearly 60 years in service.

The Ferris wheel was taken down during the winter season for routine maintenance, and a decision was later made to shut the ride down permanently. The removal of the Ferris wheel will leave a noticeable hole in the familiar skyline of the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, and locals are anxious to find out what will take its place.

Boardwalk spokesman Kris Reyes said, “Ferris wheels are an iconic part of seaside amusement parks, so it’s been very popular over the years, and it’s very beloved. But after 60 years, it’s time to look at new and different options”. Reyes added that there are currently no plans to sell the ride, and no decisions have been made regarding the Ferris wheel’s successor.

Reyes said the Ferris wheel first opened in 1959. It formerly was located where the pirate ship ride now stands, then in the 1980s was moved closer to the San Lorenzo River.

Over the years, the Ferris wheel has been the site of marriage proposals, first dates and family trips. Daredevil performer Nik Wallenda visited the Boardwalk in 2011, and walked across the top of the moving Ferris wheel while working on the Discovery Channel show “Life on a Wire.”

“It has a special place in my heart,” Wallenda told the Sentinel on Monday. “I’d love to come back and commemorate whatever comes in its place.”

Santa Cruz locals and tourists alike came to ride the wheel. Kathleen Feigelman, now a Mountain View resident, lived in Santa Cruz for 15 years and took many trips to the Boardwalk with her son.

“I’ve always enjoyed the Ferris wheel because part of what’s so great about the boardwalk is the view of the beach, pier and coastline,” said Feigelman. “It’s a visual destination, walking down the boardwalk to the Ferris wheel. It’s a big wheel of lights on one end. I just think it’s really pretty.”

Feigelman is hoping the boardwalk will put in another slow, pretty ride so that people can enjoy the view.

The boardwalk is “looking at options for a new ride,” Reyes said. “The timetable for a new ride is not known at the moment. [We are] currently figuring out what to do with the space. Won’t involve a new ride in short term.”

Santa Cruz locals and boardwalk enthusiasts never had a chance to visit the Ferris wheel for the last time before its closure, and are mourning the sudden loss of the ride.

Chris Capraro, an Oklahoma resident who grew up in California, rode on the Ferris wheel with his parents as a child. Capraro took his family to the boardwalk two summers ago.

“I had the opportunity to ride and share that memory, pass it down if you will,” he said. “To show them something as I kid that I remember going out and doing that was a special time. It’s symbolic of Santa Cruz.”

Residents and tourists alike have been asking if there are plans to sell the seats of the Ferris wheel.

Reyes said, “We haven’t begun to think about what will happen to the ride. No plans to sell at this point.”